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Origins Available: |
| England |
The history of the name Joyliffe begins with the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This Norman name was soon thereafter given to a happy and lively person. The surname of Jolliffe was originally derived from the Old French word joli, of the same meaning. 1
The name is derived from the "Old English, jolif, French joli, which Cotgrave defines as 'jollie, gay, trim, fine, gallant, neat, handsome, well-fashioned-also livelie, merrie, buxome, jocund.' " 2
The surname Joyliffe was first found in Staffordshire where they were an ancient family granted lands by William the Conqueror, and "allied to some of the chief nobles of the Kingdom." A northern branch enjoyed power and affluence in Europe before the Norman Conquest, and were originally known as Jolli. This spelling changed with the years to Jollye, to Jolliff, and finally to Jolliffe.
One of the first records of the family was John Jolif who was listed in the Hundredorum Rolls for Huntingdonshire in 1219. 3
"In 1295 William Jolyf was bailsman for the M.P. for Thirsk, and 1305 Robert Jolyf for the M.P. for Arundel." 4
The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 listed Robertus Jolf and Alicia Jolyff as holding lands there at that time. 5
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Joyliffe research. Another 153 words (11 lines of text) covering the years 1523, 1524, 1527, 1554, 1555, 1573, 1613, 1621, 1637, 1640, 1643, 1658, 1660, 1679, 1680, 1697, 1734, 1741, 1750, 1771 and 1824 are included under the topic Early Joyliffe History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Joyliffe family name include Jolliffe, Jolli, Jolliff and others.
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Joyliffe family to immigrate North America: